Game 151. Yanks rout Boston, 10-1.

 

Not yet, Boston.

The Yankees once again delayed Boston’s clinching of the AL East (Boston’s magic number is 2 over the Yanks) with a 10-1 win over the Red Sox Wednesday evening.

Before the game, the Yanks activated Aroldis Chapman off of the DL. During the game, Justus Sheffield made his MLB debut.

Luis Severino pitched like the Severino we saw in the first half of the season, when he got off to a 13-2, 1.98 start. Good news since he has been slumping lately.

Miguel Andujar got the scoring started in the second inning with his 25th HR of the season. The Yanks later loaded the bases and with two out, Aaron Judge’s grounder went through Eduardo Nunez’ legs for an two-base error and two runs. Yankee fans used to call Nunez Noon-E when he was with the Yanks. 3-0 Yankees.

Luke Voit, who had 4 hits and two HR in the game, hit his first HR of the game in the fourth to make it 4-0 Yanks.

Boston got their only run in the game in the fifth on when Nunez doubled and came around to score on a single.

The Yanks got four in the sixth to break  the game open. Gary Sanchez walked and Voit hit his second HR of the game to make it 6-1. This HR was Voit’s 10th of the season, and ninth as a Yankee. If he can hit one more homer as a Yankee before the season ends, he will become the twelfth Yankee with 10 or more HR this season, and that would set a MLB record.

Voit’s HR was the Yanks’ 245th of the season, tying their all-time team record, set in 2012.

Later that inning, Andrew McCutchen and Aaron Judge singled, and Aaron Hicks tripled them both in to make it 8-1.

The Yanks got more insurance runs in the eighth. Voit got his fourth hit of the game, Gleyber Torres singled, and after a groundout that moved both runners up, Greg Bird, pinch-hitting for Judge since the Yanks had a big lead, got an RBI groundout to make it 9-1. Hicks then got an RBI single to make it 10-1, the final score.

The win puts the Yanks at 93-58. There are 11 games left in the season. They remain 2 1/2 games up on Oakland for the top wild card spot. The Yanks’ magic numbers are 8 over Oakland (since the Yanks own the tiebreaker) for the top wild card spot, and 4 (Over Tampa Bay, 2 over Seattle) to clinch any playoff spot.

Hicks 2 hits, 3 RBI
Andujar 2 hits, solo HR
Voit 4 hits (4 for 4), 2 HR, 3 RBI, 4 runs scored.

Severino (W, 18-8, 3.38) 7 IP, 1 R, 6 H, 1 W, 6 K.
Holder 1 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 W, 1 K.  3.03
Sheffield 1 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 1 W, 0 K.  0.00   MLB DEBUT

 

 

 

Advertisements

Game 150. Walker saves Yanks with bat and glove in 3-2 win. Lead over A’s 2 1/2.

Neil Walker hit a 3-run HR in the seventh and made two fine defensive plays in the ninth inning as the Yankees beat Boston 3-2 Tuesday night.

The game was supposed to be an afternoon game but rain pushed it into the evening.

Aaron Judge returned to the Yankees’ lineup for the first time since suffering a broken wrist. He went 0 for 4 but did hit the ball hard three times.

With the win, the Yanks kept Boston from clinching the AL East for at least one more day. With the A’s loss to the Angels, the Yanks lead over Oakland for the top wild card spot increased to 2 1/2 games. Win #92 (92-58) means that the Yanks have won more games in this year’s regular season than last year and is the most wins they have won in a season since 2012.

Magic numbers: 9 over Oakland for the top wild card seed (Yanks own the tiebreaker). 5 over Tampa Bay for the bottom wild card seed.

Boston scored an unearned run in the third as Gary Sanchez is starting to earn the boos of the Yankee faithful. A single, a balk by Yankees’ starter J.A. Happ and a walk put men on first and second for Boston with no out. Then, as we’ve seen far too often the past two years, a PB by Sanchez which moved the runners up. Thankfully, Boston only got one run out of it on a SF.

Between the passed balls, and the .187 batting average this year, the fans’ patience with Sanchez is running out.

The Yanks, who got only 3 hits all game, got all their runs in the seventh. Hicks walked, stole second, and with one out, Sanchez walked. Walker hit his 10th HR of the season to put the Yanks’ up 3-1. Walker became the eleventh Yankee to hit double digits for the season, and that tied a MLB record. If Luke Voit can get hot and hit 3 more this year, the Yanks could set a record.

Both of Boston’s runs in the game were unearned as the Yanks literally almost threw the game away in the ninth. Zach Britton got a strikeout for the first out, but it was one where Sanchez had to throw out the runner at first. Walker made a nice stretch to keep his foot on the bag.

Then came a walk. On a grounder to third, Hechevarria, in for defensive purposes, made a throw behind Gleyber Torres that Torres couldn’t catch, and Torres was charged with an error. Instead of a game-ending DP, now it was first and third, one out.

The next hitter hit one back to Britton, who also should have started a game-ending DP, but Britton threw the ball away, and Boston cut the lead to 3-2, with runners at 1st and 2nd, still one out.

Finally, the next hitter hit another one back to Britton, who started a 1-4-3 DP, but even on this one, Walker had to make a nice scoop of Torres’ throw to get that final out and save the game.

J.A. Happ, on pace to start the wild card game, pitched great.

Happ 6 IP, 1 R, 0 ER, 4 H, 3 W, 6 K.  3.62 (Tor/NYY)
Green (W, 8-2, 2.42) 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 0 K.
Robertson (H, 19) 1 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 W, 0 K   2.85
Britton (S, 6) 1 IP, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 H, 1 W, 1 K.  3.41 (Balt/NYY)

Something I should have mentioned a week or so ago. CC Sabathia is the Yankees’ nominee for the Roberto Clemente award for public service.

Will Judge be in lineup tonight? Yankees observations.

Aaron Judge is not scheduled to be in the lineup today or cleared to hit yet as the Yankees face Boston at the Stadium in what is supposed to be an afternoon game.

It’ll be interesting to see if the game is played today because of rain in the forecast.

The Yanks’ magic numbers to clinch the top wild card and also to get into the playoffs remained the same. Besides the Yanks and Oakland both having off, Tampa Bay won.

With just one win in this three game series, Boston would clinch the AL East.

The Yanks have 13 games left and are just 1 1/2 up on Oakland for that top wild card spot. What’s more, the Yanks have the tougher schedule down the stretch, what with six games vs. Boston and four against Tampa Bay as 10 of the 13 games.

The Yanks hurt themselves by recently (since Aug. 26) going just 5-8 against four teams they should have beaten up on: the White Sox, Tigers, Twins and Blue Jays. All four of them have winning percentages of .460 or lower. If the Yanks had gone 8-5 instead of 5-8 in those games, now we are talking being 4 1/2 up on Oakland with 13 to go, a safer cushion.

Recently Mike Francesa called this team the worst 90 win Yankees team ever. He may have forgotten the 1970 team which won 93 games, despite

only 1 guy (Roy White) driving in 80 runs
only 2 guys (White & Bobby Murcer) hitting 10 HR

a lineup featuring

Horace Clarke at 2B OPS+ 68 (100 is average), .251
Gene Michael at SS  .214 ; OPS+ 56
Jerry Kenney at 3B  .193;  OPS+ 61
a RF Platoon of Curt Blefary .212, OPS+ 86, with Ron Woods .227, OPS+ 99

They did have decent pitching. Fritz Peterson won 20, Mel Stottlemyre, Stan Bahnsen and Steve Kline pitched well, and the bullpen had Lindy McDaniel, Jack Aker and Steve Hamilton.

Just saying… but that 1970 team… hmmm….

Lastly, from Joel Sherman:

No player in Yankees history has hit as often as Gary Sanchez has this year (334 plate appearances to date) with as low a batting average (.188). The worst has been Jerry Kenney’s .193 average in 461 plate appearances in 1970.

Game 149. Yanks’ Malaise continues with 3-2 loss. Need to wake up soon.

The Yanks scored 2 in the first, but the offense went to sleep thereafter, and Dellin Betances blew a 2-1 lead in the eighth as the 91-58 Yanks lost to Toronto, 3-2, Sunday afternoon.

The Yanks need to look in the mirror and start kicking themselves in the ass. Fortunately, the Oakland A’s lost, so the lead for the top wild card spot remains at 1 1/2.

Forget the division. Boston’s magic # to clinch the AL East is down to 2 and barring a Yankee sweep of Boston Tue-Wed-Thu of this week, the Red Sox (who already clinched a playoff berth) will be celebrating clinching the AL East at Yankee Stadium.

Andrew McCutchen led off the bottom of the first with a HR, # 19 on the year, #4 as a Yankee.

Stanton walked and Hicks later singled, Didi hit a SF. 2-0.

Toronto got a run in the third, and then the two in the eighth off Betances.

The Yanks got burned when they took out Andujar for Hechevarria for defensive reasons, then, when Andujar’s spot in the lineup came up in the 9th, they had to PH Walker then for Hechevarria.

Sometimes, it’s best to just leave Andujar in. But I could see the reasoning for removing him.

Boone is really on the hot seat right now.

The biggest problem lately is that the Yanks (since 8/26) have gone 5-8 against teams they should be pounding. 1-2 vs. the White Sox. 2-2 vs. Detroit. 1-2 vs. Minnesota. 1-2 vs. Toronto.

5-8 vs. teams under .500. Some of those teams are a lot below .500. If they went 8-5 (and it was Jack Curry on YES who brought this up) they wouldn’t have too many worries. They’d be 4 1/2 up on Oakland for that top wild card spot instead of 1 1/2.

The Yanks need to look in the mirror and kick themselves in the ass.

If this continues, they will be one and done. They’ll lose that wild card game.

Their play lately isn’t inspiring confidence.

These last 13 games will not be easy. Yes, 4 are against Baltimore. 6 are against Boston and 3 vs. Tampa Bay.

You wonder, if they go 6-7 in these last 13 games and wind up 97-65, where that wild card game will then be played at.

They still could piss away a lot. They need to stop worrying about hitting HR and concentrate on making contact.

They strike out too much. Yes, they hit HR. But they don’t bunt runners over, they do not steal. You don’t see hit and runs. Very one-dimensional. Hit HR, strike out too much, don’t bunt, don’t steal.

The Yanks’ magic # for getting the top wild card seed is 11 (since they currently own the tiebreaker). Their # for getting into the playoffs remains at 6.

McCutchen solo HR.
Stanton 2 hits.

Lynn 5 IP, 1 R, 3 H, 1 W, 7 K.  4.90 (Min/NYY)
Robertson (H, 18) 2 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 1 W, 1 K.  2.89
Betances (BS, 3; L, 4-6, 2.77) 1 IP, 2 R, 4 H, 0 W, 1 K.
Britton 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 0 K. 3.50 (Balt/NYY)

 

Game 148. Yanks’ comeback falls short, lose to Toronto, 8-7.

CC Sabathia had nothing, neither did Tommy Kahnle and a furious Yankees comeback came up short in an 8-7 loss to Toronto Saturday.

With the loss, the Yanks fell to 91-57. Tampa Bay beat Oakland, so the Yanks stay 1 1/2 games ahead of the A’s for the top wild card spot. They are 10 1/2 back of Boston with just 14 games left. Boston’s magic # for clinching the AL East is 4.

The Yanks’ magic # for that top wild card spot is 13, and possibly 12 since they currently hold a tiebreaker. Their magic # just to make the wild card game is 6.

CC gave up 5 runs and 3 HR in getting knocked out in the third inning.

Down 5-0, Didi Gregorius homered (25) for the Yanks in the sixth to make it 5-1. The Yanks loaded the bases with two out, but Andrew McCutchen struck out. McCutchen struck out four times in the game.

There are some decisions Aaron Boone is making that I don’t understand. Once again he batted .191 hitting Gary Sanchez fifth. In a normal year, yes. In a .191-hitting year, I don’t know why he is hitting ahead of say, Gleyber Torres (.280) or Miguel Andujar (.299). The rookies are doing better and should be hitting above Sanchez in the lineup.

Analytics be damned.

Another thing I can’t see is his bringing in certain relievers at certain times of the game. For the third time this month, Tommy Kahnle let a manageable deficit become an unmanageable one, and any comeback the Yanks had in them was wasted because the deficit to overcome got too large. On Sept. 2,  Kahnle came into a game and immediately gave up a HR to the first batter he faced.  Early last week, he came into a game in Minnesota, and the first batter he faced, Joe Mauer, hit a grand slam.

On Saturday he didn’t last an inning, giving up 3 runs in ballooning the Toronto lead from 5-1 to 8-1. This proved costly.

Why Boone is relying on guys in September who haven’t proven anything all year long is beyond me. Kahnle’s ERA is 7.11. Neither he nor Sanchez have performed to their capabilities all year long. Neither have others—Greg Bird for instance.

Those three runs Kahnle gave up helped to cost the Yanks the game, because the Yanks scored six runs in the bottom of the seventh. Stanton homered (34) to start things up. Didi hit his second HR of the game (26) to make it 8-3.

That second HR by Didi broke his own record for HR in a season by a Yankees’ SS, which he set just last year.

Then Miguel Andujar, who didn’t start the game, hit a grand slam later in the inning to make it 8-7. It was Andujar’s 24th HR of the season.

But the Yanks couldn’t close the gap completely and lost 8-7.

The HR are great, but it’s coming with a price. The Yanks struck out 16 times in the game.

In the second inning, the Yanks had loaded the bases with no one out, but three straight strikeouts by Walker, Voit and Gardner meant no runs scored. That helped cost them the game, too.

Sabathia (L, 7-7, 3.80) 2 1/3 IP, 5 R, 7 H, 0 W, 2 K. Gave up 3 HR.
Green 2 1/3 IP, 0 R, 3 H, 0 W, 3 K.  2.45
Holder 1 1/3 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 W, 1 K.  3.08
Kahnle 2/3 IP, 3 R, 3 H, 1 W, 1 K.  7.11
Tarpley 1/3 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 W, 0 K.  6.75
Betances 1 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 W, 1 K.    2.52
Britton 1 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 W, 1 K. 3.60 (Balt/NYY)

Billy O’Dell, a lefty pitcher who pitched against the Yanks in the 1962 WS for the SF Giants, died Sept. 12, age 85. O’Dell started and lost Game 1 of that WS, but got a save in Game 4. He also pitched in Game 7. O’Dell had won 19 games that year for the Giants. O’Dell pitched for the Orioles (1954, 1956-1959), Giants (1960-1964) Braves (1965-1966) and Pirates (1966-1967). He was a 2x All-Star (Orioles 1958 and 1959) who was 105-100 in his MLB career with an ERA of 3.29, ERA+ 109. His 162 g. average was 48 games, 20 of which would be starts, 11-10, 3.29.

 

Minor League Report. SWB loses final game of AAA Championship, 6-2.

SWB lost the final game of the International League Series (the Governor’s Cup) by a score of 6-2 . Durham wins the Governor’s Cup, 3 games to 2.

Ironically, after the game, the Yanks’ brought up to the big club the two pitchers who lost the game===Domingo German and Justus Sheffield.

3B Gio Ushela 2 hits.
DH Mike Ford a 2-run HR.

SWB struck out 14x. Both here, and at the major league level, guys have to make more contact and not just worry about hitting HR.

German (L)  2 2/3 IP, 3 R, 3 H, 1 W,  2 K. Gave up 1 HR.
Sheffield 1 IP, 3 R, 0 ER, 2 H, 0 W, 2 K.
Rosa 1 1/3 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 2 W, 0 K.
Lail 1 2/3 IP, 0 R,  2 H,  1 W, 4 K.
Diehl 1 1/3 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 W, 1 K.

Game 147. Yanks blow out Jays, 11-0.

The Yanks blew out the Toronto Blue Jays, 11-0, to match last year’s win total of 91.

Masahiro Tanaka continued his recent run of great pitching. As of now, it looks like J.A. Happ would start that wild card game. Some maneuvering would have to be done to have Tanaka start it instead of Happ. We’ll see what happens.

Aaron Judge was activated off the DL. He isn’t cleared to hit yet, but just play D and PR. He got into the last two innings as a defensive replacement. We’ve missed him and the fans let him know that by giving him a resounding ovation when he took the field.

The Yanks got five runs in the first inning. McCutchen doubled, Stanton walked and Hicks singled in a run, with Stanton taking third and Hicks moving up on the throw. After Andujar popped up, Didi hit a groundout moving both runners up, scoring Stanton. 2-0. Torres singled in Hicks. 3-0. Sanchez singled. Voit doubled in two. 5-0.

Three runs in the third basically salted the game away. Didi was HBP, and two batters and two outs later, Voit walked. Gardner singled in a run to make it 6-0. McCutchen walked to load the bases and Stanton singled in two to make it 8-0.

McCutchen homered in the fifth. #18 and #3 as a Yankee. 9-0.

To the eighth. Didi homered (24) 10-0. Sanchez doubled, Voit reached on an error, moving Sanchez to third and Gardner got a SF. Voit must have thought there were two outs because he got doubled off of first, but after Sanchez had scored.

McCutchen 3 for 3 with 2 walks.
Stanton 2 RBI
Gregorius HR, 2 RBI
Torres 2 hits, RBI
Sanchez 3 hits
Voit 2 RBI
Gardner 2 RBI

Nice offense night. 2 HR, 14 hits, 7 walks, scored 11 runs.

Tanaka (W, 12-5, 3.47) 6 IP, 0 R, 4 H, 2 W, 8 K.
Cessa (S, 2) 3 IP, 0 R, 3 H, 1 W, 4 K.  4.93

Funny to see Cessa get a save in a 11-0 blowout, but he pitched 3 innings, so…

With the win the Yanks go to 91-56.

Oakland won, so the Yanks stay just 1 1/2 up on Oakland for the top WC spot.

(Forget the division, the Yanks are 9 1/2 out with 15 to go. Boston’s tragic # for getting the AL East is 6).

But as for getting the top WC spot, the Yanks magic # is 14, and probably just 13. As of now, the Yanks would win the tiebreaker.

The Yanks’ magic # for just getting in as the 2nd WC is 6.